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Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Three days after Tropical Storm Irene reached Massachusetts, communities in the western part of the state are still dealing with widespread flooding.
In Greenfield, state and local officials are working to assess the damage caused when the town’s wastewater treatment plant shut down, causing untreated wastewater to flow into the Deerfield River. The Department of Public Health is advising people to avoid swimming and other recreational activities on the river, as well as on the Connecticut River south of its confluence with the Deerfield. Results of water-quality tests conducted by the Department of Environmental Protection will be posted on the DEP and DPH websites.
Greenfield and other towns near the Vermont border were among the hardest-hit by flooding. In the rural community of Leyden, a family of four evacuated their home just hours before it was washed away by the rushing waters of the Green River, according to the Greenfield newspaper The Recorder.
Flooding of the Deerfield River led the State Police to shut down Interstate 91 on Sunday. The northbound lanes were reopened the following morning, but as of this morning, the southbound lanes remained closed between exit 26 in Greenfield and exit 24 in Whately. According to the Department of Transportation, nine state roads in Franklin, Hampshire and Berkshire counties remained closed, including Route 5 in Northampton and Route 20 in Becket.
In Franklin and Berkshire counties, roughly 200 Army National guardsmen have been on hand to assist with evacuations and clean-up. Sen. Benjamin Downing, whose district includes all of Berkshire County and parts of Franklin and Hampshire counties, surveyed damage in Adams on Tuesday.
“We’ve got road wash-out issues and culvert issues in all the small towns,” Downing told the Springfield Republican. “I don’t really think that’s that surprising, but I think it’s an issue we’re going to monitor. And I think we’re going to keep our eye on dam issues.”
Shelburne and Buckland were among other communities on the Deerfield River that experienced flooding. Photos and video posted on the Springfield Republican website (www.masslive.com) showed churning, muddy water almost as high of the arches of the “Bridge of Flowers” that connects the two towns and serves as a popular tourist attraction. The flooding destroyed at least one business in the village of Shelburne Falls, according to media reports.
In Northampton and other Hampshire County communities, firefighters went door-to-door during the storm warning people that it might be necessary to evacuate. By the following day, more than 30 families had been ordered to leave their homes.
A large-scale evacuation took place in Williamstown, where more than 200 families had to leave their mobile park, the North Adams Transcript reported. Evacuations also were necessary in several other Berkshire County towns.
One storm-related fatality was reported in Massachusetts. On the morning after the storm, Richard Gorgone, a Southbridge Public Works employee, was electrocuted when he touched a railing on his front porch that had come in contact with a downed power line. The Boston Globe described Gorgone, 52, as “one of an army of workers who woke up early this morning to clear downed trees, repair fallen utility lines, and guard against flooding.”
Storm-related power outages were widespread throughout the state, leaving nearly 700,000 homes and businesses without electricity in the storm’s immediate aftermath. As of this morning, more than 133,000 homes remained without power, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
MEMA posted dozens of updates on Twitter before, during and after the storm. The tweets served to alert people of bridge, road and shelter closings, among other developments.
The agency also has posted an advisory on dealing with flood-related insurance claims. The advisory, “Next Steps Following Hurricane Irene,” notes that while flood damage caused “from above,” such as by heavy rain, is likely to be covered, water that enters a structure through basement walls or sewer back-ups may not be covered.
The document also advises property-owners to take pictures of storm-related damage and keep records of the cost and time that involved in securing one’s property.